
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, 



— ^^ij^^ i 

I UNITED STATES OP AMERICA. ? 



#; 




THE 




Embodying the Instruction given by the Author at 

TEACHERS' INSTITUTES, 

IN New York and other States, 
AND Especially Intended to Assist 

DISTRICT SCHOOL TEACHERS 

IN THE 

PRACTICAL WORK OF THE SCHOOL-ROOM. 






DeGRAFF, a. m. 



Part 1 ; Language and Letter Writing. 



PRICE TWENTY-FIVE CENTS. n^ 

- :33S?^ 

SYRACUSE, N. Y.: . IC '" . 

DAVIS, BARDEEN & CO., PUBLISHERS.'^ 

1877. 
Copyright, E. V. DeGraff, 1877. 



^1 w 

a'' It/ 



School Bulletin Publication§. 



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SCHOOL ROOM MOTTOES (Prang's) 5>!^xl3. 

1. Be Polite. 5. Obey Orders. 9. Speak the Truth. 

^. I Will Try. 6. Know Thyself. 10. Strive toPlease. 

3. I Am Late. 7. Time is Money. 11. No Lie Thrives. 

4. I Am Early. 8. Learn to Wait. 12. Truth is Noble. 

13. Knowledge is Power. 15. Idleness leads to Vice. 

14. Dare to Do Right. 16. You can if You Will. 

Each Motto Single $ 25 

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"Words are things ; and a small drop of ink, falling like 
dew upon a thought, produces that which makes thousands, 
perhaps millions, think." — Byron. 

"The fool hath planted his memory with an army of 
words." — Shakspeare. 

"In the commerce of speech use only coin of gold and 
silver. ... Be profound with clear terms, and not with 
obscure terms." — Jauhert. 

" It is highly important, that whatever we learn or know, 
we should know correctly ; for unless our knowledge 
be correct, we lose half its value and usefulness."— Con- 
vej'sations on Botany. 



Part l : LANGUAGE. 



INTRODUCTORY 



They who feel an inward caU to teach and eiv- 
UfiMen their countrjmien, should deem it an import- 
ant part of their duty to draw out the stores of thought 
which are already latent in their native language, to- 
purify it from the corruptions which time brings upon 
all things, to endeavor to give distinctness and pre- 
cision to whatever in it is confused, or obscure, or 
dimly seen. 

We do not wish to condemn the study of grammar ,- 
every teaclier should understand it, and pupils who 
are able to digest the science and assimilate the 
knowledge should be encouraged to study it. But 
we believe that a majority of pupils have formed a 
distaste for the study of grammar, because it was in- 
troduced at too early an age. Lessons in Language- 
should receive attention from the first ; but they should 
be free from all definitions, grammatical rules, analp 
sis and parsing ; these only clog the memory an(J 
signify nothing but mere notions of general terms. 

Definitions and rules are results, and we should 
seek to attain these results by practical work through- 
the study of the art of Language ; then, aod not 



SCHOOL-ROOM GUIDE. 



until then, shall we arrive at a knowledge of their 
chara(3ter and an appreciation of their usefulness. 

The Object to Teach Pupils to Speak and Write 
Correctly. 

The object of the study of grammar is " Jb ieacli the 
art of correct expression and the science of language.'" 
The study of our text book on grammar, does not as a 
rule, attain these results. Why ? Because grammar, 
proper, is the study of the science of language. 
Technical grammar belongs to the advanced course, 
and a majority of our pupils, who leave school before 
the age of twelve years, should pursue the study of 
language, which would be of use through life ; 
whereas the study of grammar will be of but little, 
if any, use. 

In Language we believe that the duty of preparing 
the soil, and planting the seed, is with the primary 
teacher. Correct sentences should always be used in 
the presence of the pupil ; if the teacher be careful in 
this direction, in no case using incorrect language, 
the ear becomes accustomed to forms of expression, 
and the child will unconsciously acquire the correct 
forms It cannot be learned by setting children to 
classifying, conjugating or declining. They must 
learn the art of language and through the art come up 
to the science. Language is a growth. It cannot be 
stereotyped. Language and thought have reciprocal 
influence. Right habits of language produce right 
thinking, and vice versa. The language of a person 
is a test and evidence of his thoughts and mental cul- 
ture. The chief cause of alarm is on account of the 



INTRODUCTION. 



woful ignorance of English and the faulty use of our 
mother tongue among nominally intelligent and edu- 
cated people — even among teachers, who of all others 
should use pure language. The teacher is responsi- 
ble for the language of his pupils. 

Good Language— How Acquired. 

"We acquire language through imitation ; the 
pupil who has always heard good language, 
will use good language ; his ability to use good lan- 
guage does not depend upon his knowledge of gram- 
mar, but upon his having heard good English, read 
good English and practised good English. Without 
further comment upon language, we would say, that 
whatever else may be omitted in teaching, — no teacher 
can afford to disjjense with the language exercise. 

*'I had rather speak five words with my understanding, 
that by my voice I might teach otheis also, than a thous- 
and words in an unknown touo-ue." — / Co7\ XIV : 19. 



10 SCHOOL-ROOM OUIDE. 



LESSON I. 



/. Directions. 

1. Ask the children to tell the names of the objects— 

a. In the school-room, the yard, the house, etc. 

b. Made of wood, iron, gold, wool, cotton, etc. 

c. Manufactured by the carpenter, moulder, etc. 

2. Ask the pupil to tell the names of the parts of 

things. 

3. To name some of the qualities of things. 

4. To tell the uses of things. 

//, Cautions. 

1. Insist on correct articulation. 

2. Form correct ideas ; then insist on the intelligent 

use of the terms. 

3. Let evei-y exercise bear upon the correct use of 

language. 

III. Results. 

1. The command of language. 

2. The concise use of language. 

3. Increased mental power. 

REMARKS. 

The pupils at first will mention the names of things 
in the wildest confusion. The teacher listens patiently 
for a few seconds, then kindly bids them stop, and 
tells them to begin at a certain part of the room and 
to speak one at a time, and name things in order. 

In the answers constant attention must be paid to 
the pronunciation of words — distinct and correct artic- 
ulation being one of the first requisites of correct 
language. 



LESSON I. 11 



Yet this should not be insisted upon to such an 
extent, as to make it irksome to the pupils. The child 
can attain perfection only graduall}'-, aud the teacher 
should encourage but not drive. Indeed, the child 
needs no driving ; he will work cheerfully and zeal- 
ously with the leader who has learned the art of 
working with the child. 

As the names of objects are given by the children^ 
the teacher should write these names in columns 
on the board, requiring the children to spell each 
word as it is written, assisting or correcting when 
necessary. 

Let the children say something about each object^ 
the teacher helping them to determine how far the 
terms they apply are appropriate. 

The teacher should add to these descriptions the 
names, and lead the children on to the formation of 
simple statements in their shortest form. 

Capital Letters and the Full Stop. 

In the written exercise, the children should be led 
to observe that each sentence begins with a capital 
letter, and ends with a period. The teacher will 
use JUDGMENT in the assignment of the directions in 
each lesson. 

The directions should be written on the board, one 
at a time^ and the pupils requested to follow the 
directions, and read the statements from the slate. 
After an exercise has been carefully examined, the 
teacher should require the class to reproduce it. 

The children may be supplied with little books, in 
which to write out these lessons at home. For some 



12 SCHOOL-BOOM GUIDE. 

time they should not be required to originate any- 
thing for themselves, but merely to reproduce that 
which has been taught in school. They will lind 
pleasure in doing that whicli they can do well. 

When all the objects in the room have formed the 
subjects of such lessons, those in the play-ground, the 
street, or in the tields, may be resorted to, gradually 
extending the circle to more i emote objects. 

At least a dozen lessons of this description should 
be given. 

Parts of Objects. 

After giving lessons on objects, the teacher will ask 
the pupils to name the parts of objects, and the num- 
ber of those parts. This is the second step in lan- 
guage. 

In these exercises, the teacher should be careful not 
to let the children call that a part, which is mere- 
ly a property or an accident. A part of a material 
object is a portion of it; if the part is removed, the 
object will be diminished in size and weight. It is 
Improper, then, to consider as parts the lines and 
surfaces of objects. 

The exercises on the parts of objects should be 
varied in many waj^s, so as to aronse and maintain a 
lively interest in the pupils. 

For example — the parts of a^m are the head, shaft 
and point ; of a chair, legs, rounds, seat and hack. 

The first step to be taken in language is to obtain 
ideas. The second is the proper expression of the 
ideas when obtained. 

To acquire ideas, it is necessary to cultivate habits 
of observation ; to use the eyes in noticing not only 



LESSON I. 13 



entire objects, but also their different parts ; to con- 
sider their qualities, uses, operations and effects ; 
together with their relations to other things. The 
mind employed in such processes acquires material 
for its own operations, and develops ideas and 
thoughts as it were spontaneously. 

For this exercise in language it is proposed that the 
children be required to enumerate the parts of some 
visible object, according to the following 

Example. 

A House. 
Its parts are : 
The stone, The sills. The plates. The ceiling. 
The mortar. The posts, The rafters. The floor. 
The joists, The doors. The shingles, 
The beams. The nails. The chimneys, 

Example. 

Olas^. 
Its qualities : 

It is hard, inodorous, 

solid, colorless, 

smooth, heavy, 

bright, durable, 

transparent, inflexible, 

brittle, insoluble, 

cold, dry, 

tasteless, fusible, etc. 

Its uses : 
For windows to admit the light. 
For spectacles to assist the sight, 
For useful vessels, such as goblets, pitchers, bottles,, 
phials, lamps, etc. 

Thus far we have endeavored to teach the subjects 
methodically, so as to teach the pupils the power of 



14 SCHOOL-ROOM GUIDE. 

rapid, comvlete, and accurate observation, and to pre- 
pare them for concise, complete, and accurate descrip- 
tion. 

The teacher in order to give the children informa- 
tion on qualities of object?, so that they may form 
comet impressions, should subject the object to more 
or lessco iiplicated experiments. The names of some 
of these qualities, e. g., compressibility, flexibility, 
etc., must be fully illustrated 

This exercise will furnish abundant opportunity for 
the energetic teacher to invent various means of enter- 
tainment and instruction. 

Interrogate the children closely upon the uses of 
objects, and require them to write short compositions 
about objects, to tell the name, parts, qualities and 
uses. 

The Teacher must have a Plan. 

The teacher must have a plan of presenting 
subjects. Experience daily proves that an unprepared 
lesson, or what may be termed extem'pore teaching is 
sure to be difluse and indift'erent ; besides the teacher 
must NEVER FAIL to enter the class well prepared, 
not only in regard to the object on which he intends 
to exercise his class, but upon the order in which 
the exercises are to be condactcd, and upon the man- 
ner in which the individual pupils are to be interro- 
gated. He must himself have clear and distinct ideas, 
must observe accurately and think carefully, concisecp 
and correctly. 

Without these requisites the teacher will fail in 
language ; with them he will accomplish results for 
which generation3 will thank him. 



LESSON II. 15 



LESSON II. 



I. Directionf^, 

1. Give the children words similar in pronunciation, 
but different in spelling. 

2. Ask the children — 

a. To find the words in the spelling-book. 

b. To write all the words they know, that have 

the words mentioned in them. 

c. To make a spelling-lesson of the words named. 

d. To write statements, using the words named. 

e. To write a composition, using the statements. 

II. Cautions. 

1. Require the children to answer, in full state- 
ments. 
. 2. Give constant attention to distinct articulation. 

3. Correct the common errors in pronunciation. 

4. Make the exercise pleasant and instructive. 

III. Results. 

1. The children will understand the meaning of 

words. 

2. They will learn correct simple expression. 

3. They will learn how to write and spell. 

An exact copy of a lesson given in the Primary 
Department of the State Normal School in Buffalo, 
New York, is here appended. 

The words for practice, heecli and heach. List of 
words, given by the pupils : 

J. Beech. II. Beach. 

1. beech-tree, 1. sand-beach, 

3. beech-nut, 2. shell-beach. 



16 8CH00L~R00M GUIDE. 



3. 


beech-leaf, 


3. 


pebbly-beach, 


4. 


beech- wood, 


4. 


beach-timber, 


5. 


beech-root, 


5. 


Rye-beach, 


6. 


beech-twig, 


6. 


ocean-beach. 


7. 


beech-bark, 






8. 


beech-oil. 







Sentences. 

/. Beech; a tree. 

1. The heech-ixees, make a nice shade in summer. 

2. The heech has a smooth green bark. 

3. The squirrel hides beech-nwi^ in his hole for win- 
ter. 

4. Beech-w 006. snaps in the fire. 

II. Beach ; a sandy shore. 

1. Year before last we all went to 'Rye-heach in 
vacation. 

2. O, see the pretty pebbles I picked up on the 
beach! 

8. What fun it is to walk 1 larefoot on the dry warm 
sand, down on the beach. 

III. Compositions. 

1. A beech-tree is a very large forest tree. It has 
little three-cornered beech-nuts on it. I was out in 
the country once and I saw very many little shells of 
the beech-nuts where the squirrels had been. The 
beech-wood snaps when you put it into the fire, and 
makes a very hot fire. 

2. I went down to the Beach one day and the sand 
was all smooth. I was on the Beach of Lake Mich- 
igan once and made little houses of the Beach pebbles 
in the sand. Rye Beach is where the people go to 
bathe in the summer. 

3. A squirrel is a animal that eats Beech-nuts. 
When you burn beech-wood it crackles and snaps all 
on the carpet like ashes. The beech-tree grows to be 
very large and when it is very large men go and chop 
them into wood the beech-nut is very good to eat I 
had some twice and they were good sometimes peopla 



LESSON 11. Vt 



get oil from the nuts ; beech leaves are good to chew 
they have a sour taste they are very good ; beech nuts 
are big as the end of the finger they are three cornered 
the beech-nut tree grows in Europe and america. 

The last was written by the youngest girl in the 
class, aged eight. All are printed just as written. 
REMARKS. 

Children from eight to ten years of age uiny be able 
to do the work, if the teacher carefully follows a plan. 

The teacher should spell and pronounce the words, 
if the children cannot,and also tell i\\Q\T exact meaning 
and illustrate them, if possible ; try to draw a 
picture at the board, — an indifferent one is better 
than none. 

The object is to teach spelling, writing and correct 
simple expression. 

The exercise will not prove irksome, but very 
pleasant and instructive. 

All erroneous expressions made use of by the chil- 
dren should be immediately corrected and the proper 
words FIXED upon the mind by repetition. 

In the daily work of the school-room, all definitions 
of the meaning of words, and all descriptions of 
places, objects, or events, whether given by the teacher 
to the children, or elicted from them, should be 
clothed in simple and definite language, and fixed in 
the memory by repetition. 

The children should be trained to give complete 
answers to all questions which are put to them. Ex- 
perience teaches that nothing more lends to make an 
idea clear to the mind, and to render it a permanent 
possession, thence the act of clothing it in accurate lan- 
guage. 



18 SCHOOL-ROOM GUIDE. 

Monosyllabic answers, as "yes " and " no " should 
be rejected, except when they express all that can be 
said on the subject. 

The value of such instruction has not hitherto been 
sufficiently appreciated, but it is hoped that these les- 
sons will show how suited it is to the youthful mind 
and calculated to promote mental training. 



LESSOS in. Ifl 



LESSON III 



1. Directiom. 

1. Hold ail object before tin ]Mini)!< nd ask ihfin 
to 8;iy somet' ir.g Mboui it. 

2 "Pl 'C'c obji'Cts ol ihe same kiivi in iIm ir !■ iis. 
and leUhe pupi'sd'- cribeth'in; tirx ^ >:t sec 'a 
wriu<ni dcscr piii^n 

53. Lei tbe inipil ci n pare tjccis. aiui \<\\ iluir 'iif- 
ferences. as p'|>er nw., i. hi .-m. , ,; , . - d 

and sioiu-. < tc 

4. Lei ihtr. |»i(pi .s '(^«•.Ii))« 'ii.H )> ^ - !• .(<: 

and the '^vti" -'-j '-i 

■ i Ltt ii"f^ iH'pii^ •'^-(•'■il)t' the s;tr,i. .; n < 

objc. Is 

ii Lit i-'H OJ ■ pp'v tivuiy ii(>-( i;>r 
e hie lii v>iri'*ns </lfj' • ^s. 

. L.'t iisetn po' "i "i the -■''!( 
i-t !<' u h;ir if. a'la- -• '• •! st rip'^ 

1 rv-.;.,x 

_ ^re that ■ '■" !' 1 •'. ?■ '■■ <■ •' 
orreet a)! 'mvr^i rx ■ 
/^^'^ the r.fvv V ■ •! 

:,,- ...it .'■]!:■ . <■ 



S \ !)0 



30 SCHOOL-ROOM GUIDE. 

REMARKS. 

The teacher should require the pupils to answer in 
complete statements, and encourage them to examine 
the objects very carefully. 

In the oral description let the children give the gen- 
eral properties, as the form and color; then the parts,, 
properties and uses. In the written description re- 
quire the work to be expressed neatly, giving atten- 
tion to spelling, writing, capital letters, and punctu- 
ation. 

The teacher will write the name of some familifir 
object on the board, and will call upon Ihe children 
to apply to it various qualities, writing them as they 
give them. It may be nee- ssary to assist the child- 
ren in determining the suitability of the qualities, 
and also in spelling the more difficult words. 

We may supi3ose a lesson in which the given name 
is " paper " It would present itself in such a form as 
this:— 

The paper is while. 
The paper is thin. 
The paper is smooth. 
The paj)er is pliable, etc. 

The teacher should next lead the children to notice 
that the word "paper" need only be written once, 
and that the four sentences may be contracted into 
one. Then the teacher directed by the children 
writes: — 

Paper is white, thin, smooth and pliable. 

The children then read this over, and are lead to 
perceive the necessity for commas in those places 
where the words "the paper is" are omitted, and 
also the use of the word " and " between the last two 



LESSON III. 31 



words of the sentence. Cover the board and require 
the children to reproduce the lesson. 

When the same quality is attributed to many ob- 
jects, it would present itself in such a form as this:— 
Glass is brittle. 
Chalk is brittle. 
Coal is brittle. 
Glass, coal, and chalk are brittle. 
Iron is hard. 
Flint is hard. 
Glass is hard. 
Iron, flint, and glass are hard. 
The children should be led to notice ihe stops as be- 
fore, and the change of the word "is" for " are." 

Let the children observe that each sentence be- 
gins with a capital letter, and ends with a period. 
Examine each slate, and require the children to re- 
produce correct copies. 

Let the children observe that words used in a 
series are separated by a comma. 

Require the children to write many sentences, un- 
til this fact is fixed in the mind. 

A practical knowledge of language can only be 
acquired through an intelligent use of it ; children 
should be taught to speak and write the English lan- 
guage cm^rectlyy to be able to detect the more frequent 
errors and correct them. These results can only be 
accomplished through intelligent teaching. 

Children should not be taught the final deductions 
of the science of language, which are definitions; 
they should not commit to memory arbitrary rules, 
but learn the correct use of language. The ordinary 
methods of teaching grammar do little to establish 
this. 



23 SOHOOL-ROOM GUIDK 



LESSON IV. 



/. Directions. 

1. Ask the pupil to give a name that will apply to 
everything which they can perceive. 

2. Ask the pupils— 

a. To classify the difierent kinds of matter. 

b. To name the different classes. 

c. To name things that belong to the individual 

classes, 

d. To observe and tell what animals and vegeta- 

bles do. 

e. To notice and tell what animals can do which 

the vegetable cannot do. 

f . To observe the differences between the food 

of plants, and that of animals. 

g. To write a statement using the words named, 
h. To write a short composition, combining the 

statements. 

//. Cautions. 

1 "Never assist the child to do a thing that it can 
do itself " with reasonable effort. 

2. Remember that it is a difficult thing to form a 
thought and express it. 

III. Results. 

1. It will arouse the curiosity of the pupils. 

2. It will enlist their undivided attention. 

3. It will cause them to observe closely. 

4. It will teach them the importance of classifica- 
tion. 

REMARKS. 
The aim of these language lessons is to enlarge the 



LESSON IV. 



circle of the pupil's knowledge respecticg the objects 
brought under inquiry. The true aim is not only to 
impart knowledge rightly, and teach the elements of 
order, but to ti^ain the powers of the pupil. This is 
its dignity ; this its peculiar distinction. The main 
design is the growth and development of the whole 
being. 

In order to teach language effectively we must begin 
the process, as nature meant we should : by furnish- 
ing the children with the elements out of which lan- 
guage is created, namely, a knowledge of material 
things. 

The teacher should place upon the table a number 
of articles, that belong to the mineral, vegetable and 
animal kingdoms. He should ask the children to 
examine them carefully, and to tell a name that will 
apply to all of them. (It would be well to ask the 
children to bring different things from their homes.) 

The children will give the following names: arti- 
cles, objects, substances ; they may not be able to give 
the term that you wish, which is "matter'" Write 
the words on the board, and tell the children that the 
term matter, is the one that you wish. 

Classification. 

A-fter the children become /«77^^■fo'a7• with this term, 
you may ask them to put all the objects of the same 
kind into groups. They will learn to classify objects — 
a very important lesson. The teacher will then ask 
the children to name the different groups, viz : min- 
eral, vegetable and animal. (It may prove a surprise to 
some of the children, that they belong to the animal 
kingdom.) 



24 SCHOOL-ROOM ajJIDE, 

Many lessons may be given, requiring the children 
to name things that belong to the diflerent classes. 

The teacher should require the children to bring in 
long lists of these names ; an exercise of this nature 
will prove very pleasant and instructive. 

Let the children observe that the animals move 
about, and plants are stationary ; that animals and 
plants take food, breathe, grow and die ; that plants 
feed on minerals ; and animals on vegetables and 
animals. 

The teacher should be very careful about assisting 
the children; it may be well to let a question remain 
unanswered for a day or so and see if the pupils can- 
not find out the answer by a few hours' study. 

At first, with the exercises on language, ihe teacher 
should reach the mind only through the senses, either 
directly or indirectly, with the assistance of memory 
and imagination. 

We learn by observation ; the human mind first 
perceives the impressions made upon by external 
objects and phenomena through the various inlets of 
the soul — the senses, and forms them into clear and 
distinct ideas. 

We are, then, justified in stating that the principal 
aim of school education is to teach the pupils how to 

FORM IDEAS AND HOW TO EXPRESS THEM 



LESSOJf r. 25 



LESSON V. 



I. Directions. 

1. The teacher will select a familiar theme and ask 
suggestive questions. 

2. Write the correct answers on the board. 

Theme— Water. 

a. Where does the water come from? 

b. How does it reach the clouds? 

c. In what form is it carried? 

d. What causes it to fall to the earth? 

e. Is rain useful? 

f. In what way is it useful? 

Theme— A Journey. 

a. The starting point. 

b. Time of departure. 

c. Mode of travel. 

d. Destination. 

e. Appearance of the country. 

f. Kind of trees, flowers, etc. 

g. Return. 

Caution. — Enlarge upon the idea of criticising and 
correcting by the pupils. 



86 aCHOOI^BOOM GVIBE. 



LESSON VL 



/. Directions. 

1. Tell or read a short story, and require the pupils 
to reproduce it. 

2. Write a letter to a wealthy merchant in New 
York city, requesting a situation as salesman in his 
store. 

3. Write an advertisement describing a lost child. 

4. Write a composition on each of the following 
proverbs, explaining its meaning, and showing how 
far it is true : — 

a. " Fortune favors the brave." 

b. "All is well that ends well." 

c. " Strike while the iron is hot." 

d. "A little pot is soon hot." 

e. " Out of sight out of mind." 

5. Take some poem of several stanzas, and write 
your opinion of it. 

6. Write a letter to the "New York Times," giv- 
ing an account of a railway accident. 

7. Write an allegory comparing tobacco to a thief. 

R£ilIARKS. 

Perhaps as easy a method as any to induce the 
younger class of pupils to make their first efforts at 
composition is to read or relate to them a short, but 
interesting story, and desire them to write an outline 
of it, as full and extended as they can within a given 
time. In such an exercise the thoughts are already 
furnished and the only labor of the pupil is, to place 



LESSOI^ VL 27 



them in their proper connection and clothe them with 
good language. In an exercise of this kind the pupil 
takes one of his first lessons in generalization; he 
learns to separate and classify facts, selecting the 
most important, and rejecting those of little conse- 
quence. A similar course should be observed by- 
students in History, writing each day a fair outline 
of the subject-matter contained in the pages of their 
lesson. 

Theme— Abraham Lincoln. 

I. Sis Early Life. 

a. Birth. 

b. Childhood. 

c. Youth. 

d. Manhood. 

e. Difficulties. 

II. Bis After Life. 

a. Occupation. 

b. Election to the Presidency. 

c. Administration. 

d. Assassination. 

e. Burial. 

///. His Character. 

a. Simplicity. 

b. Uprightness. 

The Influence of Kind Words. 

I. A Kind Word costs nothing, yet its influence may last 
through a life-time. 

a. Kind words at home. 

b. Kind words in school. 

c. Kind words to friends. 

d. Kind words to our inferiors. 

e. Kind words to strangers. 

f. Kind words to animals. 



SCHOOI^ROOM GUIDE. 



11. The Influence upon the Speaker'. 

a. They gain him friends. 

b. They gain him a reputation for amiability. 

c. They keep alive bis kindly feelings. 

d They produce images of beauty in his mind, 
e. They win for him love and gratitude, 

III. The Influence upon the Hearer. 

a. They shame him out of anger. 

b. They comfort him in grief. 

c. They soothe him in pain. 

IV. The InHuence upon Children. 

V. Influence upon the Poor. 
VI. Influence upon Other People. 

a. The morose. 

b. The misanthopic. 

c. The wicked. 

d. The w^eak. 



VII 


Uses of Kind Words. 






VIII. 


Value of Kind Words. 






IX. 


Compared loith : 






a. 
b. 
c. 
d. 
e. 


Angry words. 
Cold words. 
Hot words. 
Bitter words. 
Vain words, idle words, 
words, &c. 


empty ' 


words, profane 



X Conclude by any instances you may be able to 
recall, of the influence of kind words, in your exper- 
ience ; as, an anecdote or incident. 

It is almost impossible to over-estimate the in- 
fluence of a kind word. Years after the speaker has 
forgotten it, or the occasion upon which it was 
spoken, the hearer will feel the result of the encour- 



LESSON VL 29 



agement it gave him, the difficulty it smoothed or the 
sorrow it comforted. Especially to the weak, the 
aged or the erring, should we offer these aids in life's 
rough path. Costing nothing, they may prove pearls 
of the highest price. They have the wondrous prop- 
erty that they can never prove harmful, either to the 
speaker or the hearer. They cannot injure, they can- 
not cause contention, they cannot raise harsh feeling. 
Cherish, then, the kind heart, full of love for your 
fellow creatures, and kind words will spring to your 
lips, to bless and comfort all around you. 

Politeness. 

J. Definition. 

Ease and grace of manner, united to a desire 
to please others, and a careful attention to their 
wants and wishes. 

II. Politeness exacts of us : 

a. Unsellishness, in our care for the comfort or 

pleasure of others. 

b. Elegance of manner, in our desire to please 

by our deportment. 

c. Deference toward our superiors, either in age, 

station or importance. 

d. Kindness to our inferiors, either children or 

servants. 

III, Value of Politeness. 

a. It proceeds from the impulse of a kindly 

nature, proving a good heart. 

b. It will admit of a great degree of polish, prov- 

ing a finished education. 
0. It gives respect where it is due, and thus wins 
consideration in return. 

d. It gives kindness to inferiors, and thus wins 

respect and gratitude from them. 

e. It promotes good feeling among friends. 

f . It prevents discords, even among enemies. 



aCHOOL-ROOM aviDE. 



I V. Natural Politeness. 

a. Proceeds from the heart without instruction. 

b. Often to be found among us the rough and un- 

cultivated, even if more clumsily expressed 
than among the educated and refined. 

V. Acquired Politeness. 

a. The observance of points of etiquette and 

good breeding by the well educated. 

b. Mere polish of manner, often covering a self- 

ish, hard nature. 

VI. Politeness in different Countries. 

a. The etiquette of one nation often considered 

rude or insulting in another. 

b. Every race, even the most savage, has some 

form of outward politeness. 

c. Name any peculiar form of etiquette you may 

have seen or read of. 

VII. Politeness in Children and Young People is one of the 
most tcinning and graceful of attributes. It is a irnis- 
taken idea to fancy rudeness a token of manliness or 
bravery. Bayard, one of the bravest of Cavaliers, 
was one of the most finished gentlemen mentioned in 
history. 

VIII. Perfect Politeness may be defined as the union of 
natural politeness of the heart, and the acquired Polite- 
ness of Etiquette and Custom. Holmes describes the 
combination : 

" So gentle blending courtesy and art, 
That wisdom's lips seem'd borrowing friendship's 
heart." 

Wisdom is Wealth. 

J. Wealth may be defined as 

a. Great possessions. 

b. A large amount of worldly good. 

II, Mere Money may, it is tru£, be considered as Wealth, 
hut are there not more precious possessions, worldly 
goods far more valuable f 



LESSON VL 31 



III. Poverty, it is true, will im2)ede our search for Wisdom, 
as we shall lack : 

a. Time for study, if obliged to earn a livelihood. 

b. The means of buying books. 

c. The advantages of good instruction. 

IV. But Wisdom once gained is preferable to Money, for 
these reasons : 

a. Once gained it cannot be taken from us, while 

money may be lost by a thousand reverses. 

b. It can never be given to us, but we must taste 

the sweets of exertion and enjoy the reflec- 
tion that we have earned our treasures. 

c. We can never acquire wisdom by theft, or 

inherit it when dishonestly acquired, as we 
might mere money. 

d. Wisdom is independence. The man who has 

acquired knowledge, can in a great measure 
control his own future. His opportunities 
for earning money are largely increased ; his 
pleasures lie in his love of reading and study, 
and are therefore always open to him ; he is 
respected by his fellow men ; he never feels 
the weariness of the vacant mind, if reverses 
come to him — his wisdom enables him to 
meet them bravely and often to conquer 
them. 

V. Conclusion. 

In starting, therefore, in life, the possession of wis- 
dom is far preferable to the possession of mere 
money, if ignorance is the price of the latter. A fool 
can never win honor or even respect, if he were to 
possess unbounded riches ; all the pleasures that can 
be purchased are nothing compared to the delights of 
a cultivated mind and a refined intellect. 

Seek, therefore, to gain wisdom, that you may 
possess that true wealth that can never betaken away 
from you, that you will never lose, that you may im- 
part freely to others, and in so imparting increase 
your own store rather than diminish it. 



S3 SCHOOL-ROOM GUIDE. 

Whose life most brightly illuminates the pages of 
the past — the wise man's or the rich man's ? 

In the history of the future, aim rather to figure as 
a Socrates than as a Croesus 

Compare the life of the wisest man you can re- 
member, and that of the richest man. 

Knowledge is Power ; Wisdom is Wealth. 

Absent Friends. 

I. Introduction. 

In this world of change, every one is called upon 
to feel the pain of separation from friends endeared 
by association or acts of kindness. The dearest 
friends are severed by circumstances, often having^ 
the ocean between them. 

II. Treatise. 

a. Alfection is kept warm by kind remembrance. 

b. Tender recollection will dwell upon words 

spoken by the absent, and the memory of 
their acts will be cherished with pleasure. 

c. Their return to us, or our joining them, will 

be anticipated with delight. 

d. The circumstances under which separation 

took place, will seriously affect our thoughts. 

1. Parting in anger. Time heals rage. 

2. Parting in affection. Time increases love. 

3. Parting in sorrow. Anticipated joy of meet- 

ing again. 

e. Separation by death. 

1. Memory of friends becomes then a holy 

and pleasant duty. 

2. Faults are forgotten when the grave closes 

over them. 

3. Virtues are remembered with reverence 

when associated with death. 

4. But few homes are without their unforgot- 

ten dead, whose memory is associated with 
some spot or hour. 



LESSON VL 



f. Compare the paiu of parting and the pleasure 
of meeting. 

1. After a journey. 

2. After years of separation. 

3. Hope of reunion in another world. 

" The joys of meeting pay the pangs of absence; 
Else who could bear it?" [Rowe. 

'General Directions. 

1. Make a plan or ou tline of the essay before writ- 

ing any part of it. 

2. Note down in writing any useful thought that 

may occur to you ivhile you are collecting 
material for your composition. 

f^xercise in Synonyms. 

1. Custom — habit.— Custom respects the &ctic>ii ; liabit 
the actor. By custom we mean the frequent 
repetition of the same act; by habit the e^ect 
which that repetition produces on the mind or 
body. 

3. Pride— vanity. — Pride makes us esteem ourselves; 
vanity makes us desire the esteem of others. 

3. Enough— sufficient. — Enough relates to the quan- 

tity which one wishes to have of anything; 
sufficient, all that is needed. 

4. Remark — observe. — We remark in the way of 

attention, in order to remember ; we observe'm 
the way of examination, in order to judge. 

5. Qualified — Com'petent. — Qualified., having the train- 

ing, skill, knowledge ; competent, having the 
power. 

6. Entire— complete— perfect. — Entire, having all its 

parts ; complete, all its appendages ; perfect, all 
essentials, without flaw. 

7. Fortitude — courage. — Fortitude, power to endure 

pain ; courage, power to face danger. 

8. Vocation — avocation. — Vocation is the calling or 

profession ; avocation^ the temporary employ- 
ment. 



34 SCHOOL-ROOM aUIBE. 

^.Excuse — pardon — forgive. — We excuse slight 
offences ; we pardon manifest faults ; we for- 
give sin. 

10. Grand— sublime. — Lovely, pretty, beautiful. (We 

omit definitions.) 

11. Amuse — divert— entertain. — Amuse., to pass time 

lightly and pleasantly away ; Divert, to 
turn one's thoughts to something of a livlier 
interest ; entertain, to put the mind into 
agreeable contact with others, as through con- 
versation, or a book. 

12. Arduous— hard— difficult. — Difficult, anything that 

requires more or less exertion to perform it ;. 
hard, that which requires a decidedly greater 
effort to perform it ; arduous, that which re- 
quires strenuous and perserving effort to per- 
form it. 
Gospel. — Derived from the Saxon adjective God, 
meaning good and spell, a narrative — the good 
narrative, or glad tidings. 

This can be made a very pleasant and instructive ex- 
ercise ; the teacher should explain and illustrate the 
synonyms, and require the pupils to form sentences,, 
using the words correctly. It will teach precision in 
the use of words ; great care should be taken 
to distinguish between the general meanings and par- 
ticular applications. 

Instruct the pupils to use simple, plain terms ; com- 
pare the quotations below and study the difference in 
the simplicity of the thought. 

"Life is real, life is earnest ; and the grave is not 
its goal. Dust thou art, to dust returnest, was not 
spoken of the soul." — Longfellow. ' ' Life is the definite 
combination of definite composite heterogeneous 
changes, both simultaneous and successive, in corres- 
pondence with external co-existences and sequences." 
— Herbert Spencer. 



LESSON VI. 35 



Common Mistakes. 

1. •' We have no corporeal punishment here" said 
a teacher. Corjjoral means having a body. 
Corporeal is opposed to spiritual. Say, corporal 
punishment. 

3. " Set down and rest yourself;" say, sit down. 

3. " Who do you mean ?" say, whom. 

4. " He has got my slate;" Qmii got. 

5. " Who done it ;" say, who did it. 

6. ^'- 1 intended to have written a letter yesterday;'^ 

say, to write. 

7. " The girl speaks distinct-^'' say, distinctly. 

8. "He lives at New York;" say, in New York, 

9. " He made a great splurge-''' say, he made a blust- 

ering effort. The first savors of slang. 
10. "My brother lays ill of a fever;" should be my 
brother lies ill of a fever. 

Vulgarism. 

The following words and expressions should be 
strictly avoided in conversation and in writing. Only 
a few of the many hundreds in use by uneducated' 
people, will be noticed. 

1. " Acknowledge the corn," — instead of to admit. 

2. "Ain't," — instead of is not, or isn't. 

3. "Awful," — instead of ugly or diflScult. 

4. "Beat out," — instead of tired. 

5. " Dreadful," — instead of very. 

6. "Hopping mad,"— instead of very angry. 

7. " Strapped," — wanting or out of money. 

8. " Wrathy,"— instead of angry. 

9. Female, — incorrectly used to denote a person of 

the female sex ' ' To speak of a woman simply 

as a female, is ridiculous." 
The teacher should keep a record of all the mis- 
takes made by the pupils, and encourage them to do 
the same. Once a week they should be written on 



36 SCHOOL-ROOM ajTIBE. 

the board, and corrededhy the pupils ; the teacher 
^assisting when necessary. 

The pupils should be required to copy in a note- 
l)ook, the exercises in a form similar to the above. 

Let the pupils learn the correct way of speaking by 
a correct use of the term. Arbitrary rules are of little 
«se in the beginning. 

REMARKS. 

The teacher, at first, will assist the pupils to classi- 
fy subjects, draw outlines and form correct tabula- 
tions. Questions may be used for a brief time, to 
teach classification ; but should be cast aside as soon 
as possible. The teacher should always require 
pupils to hand in an outline of the subject. This 
plan will cultivate individuality and originality and 
give the pupils a training, intellectually, that will 
;prove of great service in after life. 

As a special science, language is abstruse in charac- 
ter, applying mainly to reason ; hence it belongs to 
the advanced course. As an imitative art, it applies 
mainly to perception, hence it belongs in the primary 
■course. Grammar is a special science, and should be 
taught through the ^lse of it, rather than the use 
through the science. 

Closing Remarks on the Manner of Teaching 
Language. 

The teacher must not attempt to do any more than 
she can do well. It would not do, for instance, to 
select an object in which the properties to be illus- 
trated were not well developed, nor an object with 
■which the pupils were not familiar. 



.LESSON VI. 37 



Every lesson should be given in such a way as to 
draw out the perceptive powers of the pupil by lead- 
ing him to reflect on what he sees, or to analyze the 
object before him. It is at first thought strange — 
although it is true — that powers are to be strengthened 
only by teaching the pupil to think upon what he 

sees. 

How to Conduct a Lesson. 

1. Prepare yourself before hand on the subject^ 

fixing in your mind exactly what subjects you 
will bring up, just what definitions and illus- 
trations you will give or draw out of the class. 

2. Have the work marked and written down in the 

form of a synopsis. 

3. Use the board in all exercises ; write on it tech- 

nical words, classification of the knowledge 
brought out in the recitation, and whenever 
possible, illustrative drawings. 

4. Whenever the subject is of such a nature as to 

allow it, the teacher should bring in real ob- 
jects illustrative of it and encourage the chil- 
dren to do the same. 

5. Do not burden the pupil with too many new 

technical phrases at a time, nor fall into the 
opposite error of using only the loose common 
vocabulary of ordinary life which lacks scien- 
tific precision. 

Recapitulation . 

To name once 'inore in a brief manner the cardinal. 

points to he kept in mind constantly by the teacher. 

1. Discuss the topics thoroughly. 

2. Do not overburden the pupil's memory. 

3. Do not distract his power of attention. 

4. Never take up a topic that you are unable to ex- 

plain and illustrate so clearly as to make the 
pupil understand it. 

5. Avoid all phases of thesubjectthat will tend to 

confuse rather than enlighten. 



SCHOOL-ROOM ajJIBE. 



6. Draw out in a conversational way the experi- 

ence and information wliicli your scliolars al- 
ready possess on the subject. 

7. Never omit to show by a synopsis on the board, 

what has been discussed in the lesson, its clas- 
sification and relation. 

8. Require short weekly compositions of the pupils, 

expressing in their own language their ideas 
on the subject. 

We have presented a few language lessons, sugges- 
tive, only, as to the manner of teaching. 

Teachers who have not taught language we 
would encourage to begin, and make provision 
for it on the daily programme. 

Arithmetic, geography and reading do not form 
the sc/e basis of elementary education; and some of 
the sad experiences of the past few years in speaking 
and writing the English language, prove that lan- 
guage should have a very prominent place in the 
programme. 

Topics for Brief Lectures in the School-Room. 

By spending ten or fifteen minutes each day, 
in a familiar, conversational lecture, upon some 
topic or object, selected from the following list, 
not only will the scholars be interested and 
learn many new truths in a way to remember 
them, but the teacher himself will derive great ad- 
vantage from his preparation for such an exercise. 
Whenever it can be done, the means of illustration 
should be at hand, to demonstrate to the eye, and 
thus fasten upon the mind, the facts and reasoning of 
the lecturer. The curiosity of the pupils should be 



LESSON VI. 



excited, and questions and remarks from them en- 
couraged, and by these means they will be led to 
closer habits of thought and observation. 

1. Glass. 17. Cinnamon. 33. Gold. 

2. India-rubber. 18. Nutmeg. 

3. Leather. 19. Ginger. 

4. Sponge. 30. Cloves. 

5. Wool. 21. Water. 

6. Wax. 33. Oil. 

7. Whalebone. 33. Vinegar. 



8. Bread. 

9. Ivorv. 

10. Chalk. 

11. A pin. 
13. A pencil. 

13. A brick. 

14. An acern. 

15. A cork. 

16. A stone. 



34. Butter. 
35. 



34. Silver. 

35. Mercury. 

36. Lead. 

37. Copper. 

38. Iron. 

39. Tin. 

40. Lime. 

41. Coal. 
43. Granite. 

43. Salt. 

44. Slate. 

45. Feather. 

46. Coral. 

47. Gutta-percha. 

48. A piece ©f fur. 



Cheese. 

36. Coffee. 

37. Tea. 

38. Rice. 

39. Paper. 

30. Cotton. 

31. Flax. 
33. Silk. 

1. Rotoundity of the earth. 6. Phases of the moon. 

2. Spheroidal form of the 7. Tides. 

earth. 8. Eclipses. 

3. Origin and use of salt 9. Electricity. 

in the sea. 10. Mariner's compass. 

4. Commerce. 11. Circulation of the 

5. The seasons. blood. 

Questions for Debate. 

Is the farmer the most useful member of society? 

Does wealth tend to exalt the human character? 

Has civilization increased human happiness? 

Are great men the greatest benefactors of the world? 

Is intemperance a greater evil than war? 

Do inventions improve the conditions of thelaboring 

classes? 
Is the expectation of reward a greater incentive to 

exertion than the fear of punishment? 
Do savage nations possess the right to the soil? 



40 



SCHOOL-BOOM GUIDE. 



the 



Is the mind of woman inferior to that of man? 

Is the pen mightier than the sword ? 

Has increased wealth a favorable influence on 

morals of the people? 
Did the Crusades benefit Europe? 
Was the invention of gunpowder an evil? 
Is the existence of political parties an evil? 
Is the pulpit a better field for eloquence than the bar? 



Subjects for Compositions. 



Spring. 

Flowers. 

A Thunder-storm. 

What becomes of the 
Rain ? 

Snow. 

Mountains. 

Forests. 

The Beauties of Nature. 

Our Country. 

The Study of History. 

Peace. 

War. 

The Ruins of Time. 

The Fickleness of For- 
tune. 

A Dream. 

A Ray of Light. 

A Drop of Water. 

Immutability of Change. 

Town and Country. 

Never Give Up. 

Benevolence. 

History of a Looking- 
Glass. 

Power of Mind. 

The Bible. 

The Ruins of Time. 

The Sunny Side. 



Blessings of Hope. 
Flowers of Memory. 
The Prairies. 
Unity in Diversity. 
The Starry Heavens. 
By gone Hours. 
Immortality of the Soul. 
Influence of the Great and 

Good. 
Poetry of Nature. 
Music of Nature. 
Memory of our Fathers. 
Matter and Mind. 
The Stuff that Dreams are 

made of. 
Spring. 
The Seasons. 
Heat. 
Light. 

The Spirit of Discovery^ 
The Art of Printing. 
Newspapers. 
Novelty. 
The Sun. 
The Rainbow. 
The Moon. 
The Aurora Borealis. 
The Stars. 
The Earth. 



LESSON VL 



41 



The Shady Side. ' 

Human Genius. 

Aim High. 

Past and Present. 

Book of Nature . 

Hope On, Hope Ever. 

Nature's Mysteries. 

The Contrast. 

Magic of Kindness. 

Cosl of Civility. 

Things that Cost Noth- 
ing. 

The Orphan. 

The Rolling Stone. 

Teachers. 

Loved Faces. 

We Bloom to-day, to- 
morrow Die ! 

The Wreath of Fame. 

Reflections of a Look- 
ing-glass. 

Early Companionship. 

Music of the Sea-shell. 

Letter from the Town. 

Letter from the Country. 

Tricks of Trade. 

Keepsakes. 

My Room-mate. 

The True Friend. 

What shall we Read ? 

School Associations. 

Paddle your own Canoe. 

Star of Home. 

One by One. 

I've Wandered in Dreams. 

Philosophy of a Tear. 

Music of the Spheres. 

Oppression the Nursery 
of Reform. 



The Study of Geography. 

The Pleasures of Travel- 
ling. 

The Applications of Steam. 

Rivers. 

To-morrow. 

The Ocean. 

Manufactures. 

The Influence of Woman. 

Hero-worship. 

The True Hero. 

Sources of a Nation's 
Wealth. 

Commerce 

Early Rising. 

Cheerfulness. 

The Uses of Biography. 

The Backwoodsman. 

Punctuality. 

Curiosity. 

Foppery. 

Gardening. 

Modern Delusions. 

Young America. 

The Multiplication of 
Books. 

The Philosopher's Stone. 

Nature and Art. 

The Freedom of the Press. 

The Present. 

The Past. 

The Future. 

Silent Influence. 

The Monuments of An- 
tiquity. 

Rome was not built in a 
day. 

The First Stroke is Half 
the Battle. 



43 SCHOOL-ROOM GUIDE. 

Beacon - liglits of the Mak0 Hay while the Sun 

World. " shines." 

The Book. Necessity is the Mother of 

Peaceful Conquests. of Inveotion. 

A Picture of Fancy. A Soft Answer Turneth 

Leaflets of Memory. away Wrath. 

Silent Influence. Avoid Extremes. 

For the benefit of the teachers, I would refer them 
to the following list of books on Language, any of 
which will be sent on receipt of the price by the 
School Bulletin, Syracuse, N. Y. :— 

Quackenbos's Illustrated Lessons in Language, 
published by D. Appleton & Co., New York, POcts. 

Bigsby's Language Lessons, published by Ginn 
<fe Heath, Boston, 50 cts. 

Swinton's Language Series, published by Harper & 
Brothers, New York, $2.15. 

Graded Lessons in English, published by Clark & 
Maynard, New York, 50 cts. 

Plad ley's Language Lessons, published by Scribner, 
Armstrong & Co. , New York, 50 cts. 
' Zander's Outlines of Composition, published by R. 
S. Davis & Co., Boston, 94 cts. 

Barnard's Oral training, published by A. S. Barnes 
<fcCo., New lork, $1.00. 

Hailman's Outlines of Object Teaching, pub- 
lished by Ivison, Blakeman, Taylor & Co., New 
York, $1.00. 

Sheldon's Lessons on Objects, published by 
Scribner, Armstrong & Co., New York, $1.75. 

Welch's Object Lessons for Primary Schools, pub- 
lished by A. S. Barnes & Co., New York, $1.00. 
-. How to Write a Composition, published by Dick 
<& Fitzgerald, 18 Ann St., New York, 50 cts. 

First Lessons in English Language, published by 
Van Antwerp, Bragg & Co., Cincinnati, 35 cts. 



LETTER-WRITING. 



INTRODUCTORY. 



CtOocI letter-writing is one of the main springs of 
business, and one of the strongest connecting links 
of common life. It were to be wished that more 
attention were paid to the subject of letter-writing 
in our schools In the present day, wdien ignorance 
is deservedly at a discount, and when so much is ex- 
pected of every one, even in a humble position in 
life, there is no reason why letters should furnish so 
many examples of outrageous grammar and absurd 
diction. 

A habit of expressing oneself distinctly, though 
ever without pretension, ought to be inculcated in 
early life. 

When the difficulties of spelling have once been 
conquered, there will be little difficulty in enabling 
the pupil to acquire such simple forms of letter- 
writing as are necessary to the ordinary correspond- 
ence of business. 

In reference to the more polite correspondence, 
we do not suppose it can be of any great use 
to those whose personal gifts have been carefully im- 
proved by education, for "true ease in writing," 
as Pope says, "comes by art, not chance." 



44 INTRODUCTORY. 

But to many, whose opportunities have been less 
brilliant, a few suggestions may be offered which may 
prevent being at a loss how to begin, or how to state 
a particular topic, and which, if not leading to the 
production of a good letter, may at all events pre- 
vent anything like positive awkwardness or inele- 
gance. 

Greater attention will be given to the mechanical 
structure of a letter than to its literary finish. 

Those who wish to carry the subject to a greater 
extent, may receive aid from w^orks upon Language 
and Letter Writing. 

The chief end and aim of this chapter on Letter- 
Writing, is to give a correct guide in the matter of 
mechanical detail and in the combination of the parts 
of a letter. It is hoped that this subject will receive 
attention, and that all the pupils who are not thor- 
oughly FAMILIAR with it, may be taught how to 
WRITE A LETTER. It is of morc importance than the 
thousand-and-one facts taught in Geography, that are 
readily foi-gotten ; or the discipline received from mul- 
tiplying X -f- y by X -f y . 



DEAD LETTERS. 45 



DEAD LETTERS. 



A Pathetic and Ridiculous Array of Stray 
Mail Matter. 

(Washingtou Correspondence.) 
One can hardly realize that there is a daily average 
of 12,000 or 15,000 dead letters, or about 400,000 a 
month. Allowing one person [to a letter, there are 
400,000 persons every month who undertake to send 
letters either without stamps, without addresses, or 
with cancelled stamps, insufficient postage, illegi- 
ble' or incorrect addresses. Many of them are 
without either stamp or address, and often with no 
signature which gives the slightest clue to persons 
sending them. There are 40,000 a month received 
that either lack postage or address, or else have in- 
sufficient or cancelled stamps, and, strange as it may 
seem, these are sometimes the most valuable letters, 
often containing currency or drafts for large amounts 
of money. It is estimated that there is about $3,000,- 
000 in drafts and about $75,000 in cash received yearly 
through dead letters. This is all returned, if possi- 
ble, to the persons sending it ; but if any portion of 
it fails to find a claimant, it is turned over to the 
Post Office fund. 

Very little difficulty is experienced in restoring the 
checks and drafts to the rightful owners, but the 



46 SCHOOL-ROOM GUIDE. 

money generally comes in small sums, and is usually 
sent in the most careless, haphazard fashion, and the 
loss of these small sums, and the ignorance or care- 
lessness with which they are launched upon a jour- 
ney, represent a deal of suffering and disappoint- 
ment. Some hard working man may send $20, the 
savings of a month's labor, to his wife and little 
ones, whom he has had to leave behind him ; but, 
alas, he is one of forty thousand who trust to Provi- 
dence, without stamp or address, or else his writing 
or orthography are beyond mortal ken, and so the 
poor wife never gets the pittance which is her all. 

The paradise of fools, "to few unknown," is the 
mental comment as one sees the many evidences of 
people's carelessness, foolishness and stupidity which 
are displayed at the Dead Letter Office Museum. 
Arranged in glass cases on the four sides of the room 
are all these waifs of travel, displayed with a view 
to their respective attractions, and suggestive of the 
treachery of postage stamps and the adverse fate 
which sometimes overtakes even mail bags. There 
is everything known to the useful and ornamental ; 
everything not smaller than a thimble or larger than 
a stovepipe hat. 

Such a pathetic array of might-have-beens, so elo- 
quent of disappointments and blighted hopes! Locks* 
of hair — there are whole switches of them — and as 
for photographs, we are told that there are forty 
bushels of them in the basement of the building. 
But fancy yourself the recipient of a nice parcel from 
the hands of the postman some morning, which upon 



DEAD LETTERS. 47 

being opened discloses a live snake ! Whether one 
would go into raptures or hysterics at such a treasure 
would be a matter of taste, I suppose. But, then, 
people do send snakes through the mail, and some- 
times they come back to the Dead Letter OfQce for 
want of a claimant, and we see them leading a se- 
renely spiritual existence in a glass jar among other 
stray postal curiosities. It is a fact that a postmaster 
once found a small live alligator disporting among 
the letters and papers in a mail bag. 

It is very amusing to see the letters opened, and 
guess at their contents before Ihey are brought to 
light. Three out of five from a bundle of unad- 
dressed letters contained money, one of them a $5 
note. Then there are such quantities of dress sam- 
ples in letters. One would imagine that all woman- 
kind had discovered a language in the interchange of 
these scraps of dress fabrics. One half show their 
prosperity in bits of silks and satins, and the other 
half in slips of sixpenny calico, and it is only in the 
Dead Letter Office that they meet on common ground. 
Certainly every fifth letter contains a photography 
and I don't imagine that any great care is taken to 
return lost photographs ; but any one so bereaved has 
the privilege of rummaging among the forty bush- 
els of human "counterfeits" which have accumu- 
lated here. 

During November, 1876 more than 400,000 let- 
ters, newspapers and postal cards, were received 
for delivery by the letter carriers of New York 
city, of which 20,000 were returned by them as unde- 



48 SCHOOL-BOOM GUIDE, 

liverable on account of incorrect and illegible super- 
scriptions. Four million and a half accumulate an- 
nually in the United States. 

From the above statistics, and the testimony of 
many postmasters, it is evident that it is the impera- 
tive duty on the part of the teacher, to give instruc- 
tion in Letter Writing. Considering the carelessness 
of the average American in the matter of directing 
letters, this fact does not speak well for American 
teachers. 

It has been taken for granted, that pupils, who 
could parse and analyze a simple sentence, bound the 
states and territories, and explain an example in cube 
root, could write a passable letter ; but this is a mis- 
take. A majority of our pupils are only able to do 
what has been taught to them, and that thoroughly. 
It is not enough to say to your pupils "that you 
should be able to write a good letter ;" you should 
teach them HOW TO WRITE A LETTER. 



HOW TO TEACH LETTER-WRITING. 49 



HOW TO TEACH LETTER-WRITIiNG. 



I. Directions. 

1. Develop every part of the letter. 

2. Illustrate and explain each part on the board. 
2. Require pupils to copy the correct form. 

4. Require pupils to reproduce each part. 

5. The teacher should carefully examine the pupils' 
work. 

6. After all the parts of the structure of a letter 
have been taught ilwroughly^ and the pupils have been 
drilled sufficiently, require them to reproduce the whole 
correctly. 

7. Teach them how to place the superscription 
upon the envelope, and require them to hand in a 
letter properly written, folded, inserted and carefully 
superscribed. 



50 



SCHOOL-BOOM GUIDE. 



LETTER-WRITING. 



I. Private - 



fl. Social. - 
2. Business 



a. Domestic. 

h. Introductory, etc. 

a. Personal. 

h. Official. 



3. Miscellaneous. 



ica- 
tion of 

Letters. I 1^4. Postal Cards. 

l^II. Public, or Open. 

Structure of Letters. 



A. Materials. 



a. Size. 
h. Quality. 
c. Color. 



f 1. Paper. 
2. Ink— Color. 



3- Envelopes. I ^-Sije-^ 
4. Pen. 



I. Position and Arrangement. 

fl. Post-Office.- 1 ^^^• 

r 1. Place -! 2. County or City. * 

i U- State. 

B. Heading. ] II. Parts. \ 

CI. Month. 

.2. Date. ^ 2. Day of the Month. 
[3. Year. 
i_III. Punctuation. 



I. Position and Arrangement, 
1. Addr 



C. Introduction. <| II. Parts 

' 2. Salutation. 
II. Punctuation. 



1. Name & title 

2. Directions. 



VI Moflpl -! ^- Business. 

V 1. ivioaei I ^_ g^^.^j ^ Miscellaneous. 



LETTER - WRITING. 



51 



ri. Be2;mnmg. 
D. Body of the Letter. ■{ II. The Margin. 

[ill. Paragraphing. 



f I. Position and Arrangement. 

r 1. Complimentary Close. 
JE. Conclusion. ■{ II. Parts, -j 2. Signature. 
[^3. Address. 

III. Punctuation. 



F. Folding. 



G. Superscription 



f I. Position and Arrangement. 

{1. Name and Title. 
I 1. Postoffice 
3. Directions < 2. County. 

III. Punctuation. ^ ^- ®^^*®- 

LIV, Legibility. 



H. Stamps. 



1. Place. 

2. How put on. 



52 SCHOOL-ROOM aUIDE. 

'< How shall I teach the pupil to write a letter ? " 
Try the following method : — Ask him, — 

1. What are you going to write about ? Get the 
real fact or incident, and have him write it down in 
proper form, as his subject. 

2. What is the first thing you wish to tell about ? 
Tell him to write that down by itself, as he wishes 
to tell it. Proceed thus, with the several items, 3d, 
3d, and so on, till he thinks of nothing more. So 
far, you have the material. Now for the order. 
Ask him, — 

3. Which of these really ought to come first ? If 
he hits on the right one, have him number it 1. If 
he is wrong, point out the right item. Proceed in 
the same way to find the proper second item, and so 
on to the end. This settles the order. Now con- 
sider the paragraphs. Ask, — 

4. Which of these seem to belong together in a 
group ? Have them numbered a second time, as ^ 
1, 3. etc. Show the proper method for spacing the 
first lines of paragraphs. Attend next to the expres- 
sion. Ask, — 

5. What ungrammatical words or expressions do 
you find ? Whatever such he finds, correct by in- 
terlining. Such as he fails to find, point out and 
have corrected. 

6. What long words can be changed for short, 
simple words, or those in better taste ? Have the 
changes made by interlining. Next, consider the 
capitals and punctuation. Ask, — 

7. What words should begin with capitals ? Have 
these marked. 



HOW TO TEACH LETTER-WRIima. 53 

8. Where do we want a full separation ? Have 
the period inserted. And so proceed, if other points 
are needed. 

Now require a complete draught to be made. 
"When this is done, examine and correct it under the 
pupil's close observation, explain the corrections 
made. Lastly, require a carefully written copy, 
according to the corrections. 

Classification of Letters. 

The classification given in the tabulation should be 
written on the board and explained by the teacher. 

The names of the classes are so plainly descriptive 
as to render formal definitions unnecessary. 

Structure of Letters. 

This means an arrangement of its several parts, so 
as to present a pleasing appearance. 

Materials. 

Papee. — The materials for letter writing should be 
of good quality. Good materials cost only a trifle 
more than poor ones. The paper for business cor- 
respondence should be white or tinged with blue. 
The size of the paper should be adapted to the size 
of the envelope to be used. 

In business correspondence, it is not in good taste 
to use tinted or colored paper. 

Ink. — Avoid the use of all fancy inks, and use sim- 
ple black ; all other colors fade. 

Envelopes.— Do not use envelopes of irregular and 
fancy shape, and let them be adapted in size and 
■color, to the paper. 



54 SCHOOL-ROOM GUIDE. 

Sealing- Wax. — This is now principally used on 
valuable letters and packages. It adds very much to 
the appearance of a letter to seal it neatly with wax. 

Heading. 

The heading includes the place and date. If your 
letter is to consist of one page only, the proper posi- 
tion for the heading is on the first line. If less than 
one page, proportionally lower ; so that the space at 
the bottom of the page may be equal to the space at 
the top. Begin the heading a little to the left of the 
middle of the page, and if it is too long to be placed 
within the limit of a half line, let it be extended for 
completion to the next line below. It usually occu- 
pies two lines, but never more than three ; when two 
lines are used the second should begin farther to the 
right than the first. Business letters should always 
be dated at the top ; some place the date at the bot- 
tom ; this form is used more generally in social cor- 
respondence. When placed at the bottom they must 
be near the left edge of the paper, one line below the 
signature. 

Place. — The Heading of a letter should be self- 
explaining. The name of the State and the County 
should always be expressed, unless the letter is ad- 
dressed to a very large city, like New York or Bos- 
ton. If the letter is written in a city, the street and 
number should be expressed. The Heading should 
"be full and complete, so that when a person answers 
the message, he may know where to send it. 

Date. — The date includes the month, day of the 
month, and the year; if letters are used after the 



HOW TO TEACH LETTER-WRITING. 55 

figures, let them be placed on a line with the figures, 
and not a little above the line. The best letter writers 
omit the letters after the figures, although it is by no 
means improper to use them. 

Punctuation. — The parts of the Heading should 
be separated by commas, and a period should be 
placed at the close of the Heading and after abbre- 
viations. The ordinal adjectives 1st, 5th, 37th, are 
not abbreviations, and they should be followed by a 
comma. The Heading is an abridged form of a sen- 
tence, composed of phrases, and phrases are usually 
set ofi" by commas 

REHTARKS. 

The teacher should write, or have written, on the 
board the correct form of the Heading of a letter, call- 
ing attention to the position and arrangement of the 
parts, capital letters, and punctuation. He should 
require the pupils to copy the correct form on their 
slates, spell the words, and give the correct position 
and arrangement of all the parts. 

Various Headings should be given by the teacher 
until the pupils are thoroughly familiar with them. 
A few lessons methodically given, will secure mas- 
tery. 

Introduction. 

Position. — The names of the persons to be ad- 
dressed should be given on the line below the head- 
ing, at the right and near the marginal line. It may 
occupy one, two, or three lines ; the first line of the 
address should contain the name and title alone ; it 
should begin even with all the lines of the page, ex- 



56 SCHOOL-BOOM GUIDE. 

cept the heading and those that commence par- 
agraphs. 

Directions.— The directions should be as full in the 
address as in the heading ; the letter should be self- 
explaining ; it should contain not only the name and 
residence of the writer, but also the name and resi- 
dence of the person to whom it is written. 

The American form of correspondence places the 
address before the salutation, except in letters of an 
official character ; then it is placed at the close of the 
letter, at the left of the signature : this corresponds 
with the English style. 

Name and Title. 

The name should be written in full ; for example, 
we write to J. C. Knox, Colorado Springs, Nevada ; 
as it stands now it may mean James C. Knox or Jen- 
nie C. Knox. It is better, unless the party is well- 
known, to write the full Christian name, and not the 
initials of the name. Too much pains cannot be taken 
in the address of letters and the superscription of 
envelopes. In New York city there are two hundred 
persons by the name of John Smith ; in order to 
avoid confusion and allay the passion of mail carriers, 
it would be better for all correspondents to write the 
full name, the proper title and the name and the num- 
ber of the street. 

Title. — The common titles are Mr., Mrs., Miss 
.and Esq. Mr. is an abbreviation of Mister ; Mrs. is 
^n abbreviation of Mistress, but pronounced Misses, 
which is written Mrs.; Miss is not considered an 



ROW TO TEACH LETTER-WRITING. 57 

abbreviation, but a contraction, from the word Mis- 
tress. When this title is applied to two or more 
ladies of the same name, both forms are used by 
grammarians, Miss and Misses ; the latter may be con- 
sidered as the prevailing usage. Esq. is an abbrevia- 
tion of Esquire. 

Salutation. — This term should never be omitted; 
it expresses politeness, respect or aflection. The term 
employed in writing to a man is Sir, Dear Sir, or My 
dear Sir. 

Tlie word Dear implies that the parties are ac- 
quainted ; My dear Sir, suggest intimacy or friend- 
ship. 

In addressing a married woman, the following 
form is usual, including the title and christian name 
of the husband : 

Mrs. Dr. J. J. Anderson, 

105 Madison Avenue, 

Albany, N. Y. 
Madam,— 

In the use of the salutation, it is better to be too 
formal than too familiar. 

To use a term of affection when no endearment ex- 
ists between the parties, is highly improper. It is 
assuming undue familiarity, not warrantable in busi- 
ness correspondence. Such a term prefixed to the 
name addressed as. Dear Brown, or Finend Hayes, or 
«ven Dear Sir, ov 3Iy dear Sir, is not proper in busi- 
ness messages. 

The salutation used in addressing a woman mar- 
ried or a single woman, is Madam, Dear Madam, or 
My dear Madam. In writing to a young unmarried 



58 8GH00L-R003I GUIDE. 

lady, it is customary to omit the salutation and ad- 
dress her with the title prefixed to her surname, as 
Miss Howell, and then write the address at the bottom 
of the letter, at the left. 

J. Willis Westlake says, " In writing to a lady who 
is a stranger or a mere acquaintance, persons often 
feel a delicacy (unnecessarily so, it seems to us,) 
about saying 'Dear Miss Blank,' or 'Dear Madam.* 
Dear does not mean any more in ' Dear Miss,' than 
it does in 'Dear Sir.' Surely no lady would hesi- 
tate to use the latter form of address in writing to a 
gentleman of her acquaintance; and the gentleman 
would be a fool to suppose she intended to make love 
to him by so doing. When Miss or Dear Missis used 
in the introduction it must be followed by the lady's 
name; as 'Miss Flora May,' 'Dear Miss Barnes."* 

We should use the full form in the salutation ; as, 
Oentlemen, not Gents; Sir, not Sr ; Bear, and not Br. 

Place of the Salutation. — The salutation should 
begin at the same distance from the marginal line as 
the paragraphs. 

If the address is omitted at the beginning of the 
letter, the salutation should be placed on the first line 
below the heading, a little to the right of the margin, 
so that the places of beginning the paragraphs may 
be uniform and correspond to the salutation. 

Punctuation. — Place a period at the end of the 
address. The address and the salutation are not in 
the same grammatical person, the address being in 
the third person, and the salutation in the second. 

Authorities disagree about the punctuation mark 
after the salutation. 



HOW TO TEACH LETTER-WRITING. 59 

Some place a colon ; some a semi-colon ; and others 
a comma. The best authorities use the comma, when 
the body of the letter begins one line below the salu- 
tation, and a comma and a dash when the body of 
the letter begins on the same line as the salution. In 
the English form of letter writing, the salutation^ 
simply, is placed at the beginning of the body of the 
letter, and the address at the close of the letter, a little 
at the left. 

This form is used in America by correspondents^ 
and it is believed that the best usage sanctions it. 

Margin. — Always preserve a margin in letters, and 
in all forms of manuscripts. The French preserve 
two margins, one at the left, and one at the right ; 
this adds to the appearance of the letter, making it 
correspond to the printed page; in America only the 
left margin is retained. The introduction to social 
and miscellaneous letters, in form, is just the same 
as in business letters. 

REMARKS. 

All of the above points in the introduction of a let- 
ter, should be neatly written on the board. The 
teacher should call attention to each part, its exact 
form and place. 

He should require the pupils to copy the correct 
form on their slates ; and upon review, require them 
to spell the words, give the correct position and 
arrangement of all the parts, and punctuate the intro- 
duction correctly. At this point in the instruction 
review the heading and the introduction. 

It is delightful to be able to write a good letter, and 



SCHOOL-ROOM aUIDE. 



it is certainly a great pleasure to read one. Surely, 
in this, like every other accomplishment, " practice 
makes perfect," and as it is a valuable one, the pupils 
should at once set to work with a determination to 
conquer the difficulties of writing. 

THE BODY OF THE LETTER. 

The body of the letter is composed of two parts, 
properly ; the Beginning and the Paragrajjlis. It is 
the message itself, exclusive of the heading, introduc- 
tion and conclusion. 

The Beginning. — When the address occupies two 
or more lines, the body of the letter should begin di- 
rectly after the salutation, and on the same line ; 
when the salutation is simply used at the beginning 
of the letter, the body of the letter should begin on 
the next line below, little to the right of the salutation. 

The salutation should never be placed so far to the 
right of the sheet of paper, as to leave room for only 
one or two words after it. 

Paragraphing. 

The same rules should govern us in writing, as in 
printing, with the exception of the right margin. The 
paragraph should always be used, when necessary. 
It indicates the beginning of a new subject, or of dif- 
ferent and disconnected things. 

The first word of a paragraph begins farther to the 
right than the beginning of the other lines. The first 
word of the first paragraph commences after the salu- 
tation ; the first word of the second paragraph should 
fall directly under the salutation, and so on with the 



HOW TO TEACR LETTER- WRITING. 61 

remaining paragraphs. All paragraphs should begin 
at the same distance from the marginal line. Preserve 
this order and it will add to the mechanical structure 
of the letter. 

THE CONCLUSION. 

The conclusion of a letter is the part added to the 
body of the letter. 

Position and Arrangement.— It should be placed 
at the foot of the letter. 

Complimentary Close. — This includes the lan- 
guage, the closing compliments ; it should begin a 
little to the right, but near the middle of the first line 
below the body of the letter, about the same distance 
from marginal line as the heading. They may be 
broken into two lines, but it is not necessary. 

If composed of two lines, the second should com- 
mence a little to the right of the first; commence the 
first line with a capital letter, also the second. 

Signature. — In writing the signature, begin a lit- 
tle at the right of the complimentary close, on the 
next line below. A letter should always be signed 
in a legible hand, and this includes accuracy, sym- 
metry, uniformity and neatness. The full name 
should be written. Thousands of letters are dropped 
into the post oflices having no name subscribed. It 
is well to write the address under the signature if 
you wish an answer to your letter; particularly if 
your letter is mailed at some other point aside from 
your regular residence. 

Punctuation. — A comma should be placed after 
the complimentary close, and a period after the 
signature. 



62 SCHOOL-ROOM GUIDE. 

Folding. — Neatly folding a letter will add very- 
much to its appearance. This is a simple thing, but 
it should be learned. 

Note-Pafer. — Fold up the bottom so that it shall 
be nearly equal to the width of the envelope, (sup- 
posing that the envelope is adapted to the paper,) 
turn down the top in the same manner, and press the 
folds neatly together. 

■ Letter-Paper. — Turn the bottom edge up so that 
it shall be nearly equal to the length of the envelope; 
then proceed in the same manner as above. 

This form may be observed in folding for an ordi- 
nary envelope ; if the letter is to be enclosed in an 
official envelope it must be folded thus ; Turn up the 
lower edge equal to the width of the envelope, and 
fold the top down over it 

SUPERSCRIPTIOPT. 

We have finished the letter and are now ready to 
superscribe it. This supe7'scriptmi is written on the 
outside of the envelope. It consist of the name and 
title, post-offlce, county and state. 

Position. — Every item must be on a separate line. 
The first line consisting of the name and title, should 
begin below and at the left of the centre; the 
second should begin a little farther to the right ; the 
third a little farther than the second, and so on. 

The spaces between the lines and the space below 
the last, should be equal. 

Great pains should be taken in writing the supe?'- 
scription, and the full form should always be used. 
Each part should be written legibly. It is always 



HOW TO TEACH LETTER-WRITING. 63 

the safer way to express the name of the county un- 
less the letter is directed to a large city. 

Punctuation. — Place a period after abbreviations ; 
when the abbreviation is at the end of a line, place 
a comma after each line, and a period at the close. 

Stamp. 

A stamp should always be placed upon the envelope. 
•It should be placed upon the upper right-hand cor- 
ner, about a sixteenth of an inch from the upper and 
the right edges. Pains should be taken to put it on 
carefully. 

PRACTICAL HINTS IK LETTER WRITING. 

Thus far in the discussion of the subject of letter 
writing, we have called attention to the structure of 
the letter, the mechanical part. Simple as it may 
seem, it will require study on the part of those 
teachers who are not familiar with it. My attention 
was called to this subject five years ago ; no pains 
have been spared to gain all the knowledge possible, 
by inquiry^ by observation and by study. There are 
two other divisions important in themselves, the 
Khetoric of Letters and the Literature of Letters, 
which should be made a study, if the teacher is not 
already familiar with them. 

We cannot give an extended discussion of the 
above named divisions, but will throw out a few 
'practical hints, calling attention to the Rhetoric and 
Literature of Letters. 

Interlineations. — This is a habit, and must be 
overcome. The insertion of letters or words exhibits 



64 SGHOOI^ROOM GUIDE. 

to the reader a degree of carelessness, that is not ex- 
cusable. 

Copy and re-copy, until every part of the letter 
pleases the eye. An hour or two devoted to careful 
copying will secure the result. 

Blots. — Never allow a blot to be seen in your let- 
ters ; it is slovenly. 

Flourishes. — Avoid flourishing in letter writing ; 
it is indicative of a kind of dash-and-display charac- 
ter. A person of this staiup would be quite apt to 
■wear an Alaska diamond pin, alligator boots, steel- 
pen coat, part his hair in the middle and use a slim 
cane. 

Cross-lines. — If it is necessary to write more mat- 
ter than can be properly placed on the pages of a let- 
ter, use another sheet of paper. There is no excuse 
for the person to write on the margins of the sheet 
and over the body of the letter. It is in very poor 
taste, to say the least. 

TJnderlinings. — In reading, certain words are 
emphatic, and when properly emphasized increase 
the intensity of the thought. 

In writing, it also adds force to the expression to 
to underline certain words ; but indiscriminate under- 
lining ceases to add effect. 

Erasures. 

Avoid erasures ; it indicates a lack of interest and 
attention to the subject. The same rules should hold 
good in writing as in printing. 

It disfigures the letter and it is a sign of careless- 
ness, and it is always the better way to rewrite the 



HOW TO TEACH LETTER-WRITING-. 65 

letter, if there is time, than to send it subject to the 
criticisms of others. 

Postscript. 

This is something added to a letter after it is prop- 
erly finished, and should generally be avoided. 

When the writer has received new information af- 
ter the letter is finished, it may then be added. It is 
not best to get into the habit of appending postscripts. 
No topic of importance, compliment or afi'ection, 
should be expressed in the postscript. 

The Character &. 

The character & may be used between the sur- 
names of a business firm or between the initial letters 
of Christian names ; but as a rule it should not be 
employed to take the place of the word for which it 
stands. 

Figures for Words. 

Figures are used for dates, time of day, rates, quan- 
tities, prices, and in bills, book-keeping, aggregate 
amounts, etc. In commercial paper it is best to use 
both figures and words. 

Lead Pencil Writing. 

Business letters are generally preserved, and as 
lead pencil marks are easily blurred or erased, it is 
not business-like to use the lead pencil in correspond- 
ence. 

Bombast. 

Use the simplest terms ; descriptive words and 
fine words are not used by educated people : young 
persons do not like to use simple nouns, but resort 



66 SCHOOL-ROOM GUIDE. 

to the use of adjectives, high sounding words, pom- 
pous expression and parade of language. 

The language of simplicity should characterize all 
correspondence. 

Slang Words. 

The words we use are an index to the mind and 
heart. Your letter will be accepted as a type of your 
mind and an index to your thoughts. No gentleman 
or lady will resort to the use of slang terms. Slang 
phrases are utterly inconsistent with true dignity 
of thought, word or deed. 

Foreign Words. 

It is not considered a good taste to use foreign 
words, unless necessity requires them. It is better to 
use pure English. 

Tautology. 

This is quite common with inexperienced writers; 
when a fact has been stated once, — the point made 
distinctly and clearly, it only confuses the idea, to 
attempt a repetition. 

Books on Letter-Writing. 

Analysis of Letter Writing ; Ivison Blakeman, 
Taylor & Co., New York. $1.50. 

How to Write Letters, Sower, I^Potts &lCo., Phila- 
delphia. $1.00. 



MODELS OF HEADINGS. 67 

MODELS OF HEADING. 



Model 1 



t&^^^ c^^^ 



£^^^ -^^y y<^//. 



Model 2. 






Model 3 






:^^^^jv: ^c^tt: 



3Iodel 4. 



Model 5. 

22 Clinton Street, 

Troy N. F., J/ay 11, 1877. 



SCHOOL-ROOM GUIDE. 



MODELS OF INTRODUCTION. 



Model 1. 






Model 2. 






€>C^-^ >^z3f«^«3-^, ^'^G. 



Model 3. 






£.^<fZ.i&G'i 



^^^-i^^P- -9^^^^ ■^^'■cy^t^'Z-. i&^C 



MODELS OF INTRODUCTION. 



Model 4. 






«e «5-^te ^j^ ■^^txs^t'^y^o-iC 



'^■ot^'i'tfy ^-/i:. 



Model 5. 

^ui mna /avoi, etc^ 



70 SCHOOL-ROOM aUIDE. 



ENGLISH INTRODUCTION. 



^odel 1. 

Dear Sir^ — 

Tours was received^ etc. 

Mr. James Doe, 

25 Benton Street, 

Albany, N. Y. 



Model 2. 

Gentlemen, 

Send me 500 barrels of Sugar ^ etc. 

Dexter & Jones, 
21 Broadicay, 

Albany, N. Y. 



CONCLUSION. 71 



CONCLUSION. 



For social letters, the following forms are 
"Used : 

Jow^ friend; Yours with esteem; 
Yours r)ery respectfully ; Yours very 
sincerely^ etc. 

For business letters, - the following forms are 
used : 

Truly yours; Yours respectfully ; 
Yours i^ery truly ; Yours. 



For official letters, 

/ have the honor to he^ Sir, 

Your obedient servant, 

C. L. 



I have the honor to he, 

Very respectfully, 
Your most obedient servant, 

H, C. D. 



I am. Sir, 

Your obedient servant, 

S H. 



Very respectfully. 

Your obedient servant, 

S. A, 



72 SCHOOL-ROOM aUIDE. 



FORM FOR SOCIAL LETTER. 



Canandaigua, New YorTc, 
My dear Sister^ 

In reply to your letter 
of the ISth inst. I heg to assure you 
that I shall he happy to meet you on 
Wednesday next at Albany^ at the hour 
mentioned hy you. 

We are happy to know that you will 

visit us. 

Your loving sister, 

Mary Perkins. 

Miss Lula Perkins, 

OorTiam Street, 

Ganandaigua. 



BUSINESS LETTER. 73 



BUSINESS LETTER. 



Albany, J^. Z., May 28, 1877. 

Supt. 0. B. Bruce, 

Bingliamton, N. Y. 
Sir, — Tours of March 16 was duly 
received. It gives me pleasure to in- 
form you that I shall he able to ac- 
company you on the proposed excursion 
next August. 

Yours very respectfully, 
William Watson, 
288 Madison Av., 
Albany, N. Y. 



74 SCHOOL-BOOM ajIIDE. 

FORM OF SUPERSCRIPTION, 



^r. 0zra. Witter, 

£^ew Worl, 

us Q^nna. W. J^ee, 
SOS StJi (i^lverbue^ 



<£Messr8. SmitJ^ ^ <^6rM7^s^ 

MoeJiyester. 



Mdtcvvioy 



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0olor(ido^ 
0oloraydo Spri?bgis^ 



From ^chermerliorn'§ Bankrupt §ale. 



The publishers of the Bulletin would announce 
that at the recent closing out sale of Schermerhorn's 
School Supplies they were large purchasers, and will 
henceforth furnish to school-boards and teachers a 
large proportion of the goods heretofore controlled 
by J. W. Schermerhorn & Co. Of most of these 
articles we have lowered the retail prices, and upon 
them all we shall give liberal discounts for large 
orders. We would call particular attention to the 
following 

New Books. 

JohannoVs School-Houses. This new and finely 
illustrated octavo volume is the standard work upon 
the subject,and should be in the hands of every school 
principal, and of every school-board. We bought 
the entire edition, and have lowered the price from 
«3.00 to $2.00. 

Diadem of School Songs. This was the most at- 
tractive and popular of the several music books 
published by Schermerhorn & Co. We bought the 
plates and all the copies, and have lowered the price 
from 60 cts. to 50 cts. a copy. For one month, 
sample copies will be sent at half price to teachers 
who wish to examine the book with a view to intro- 
duction. The price per dozen will be $5.00; per hun- 
dred, $40.00. 

Frohisher's Oood Selections. Of late years, there 
has been a demand for a cheap book of fresh pieces 
of prose and poetry for reading and elocution classes. 
Of all the books published to meet this want, Fro- 
bisher's seems to us the best. We purchased the 



SCHEEMEEEOBN'S BANKRUPT SALE. 77 

entire edition, have had it rebound in handsome 
shape, and hare lowered the price from 30 cts. to 25 
cts. The book contains 168 pages, and should be in 
the hands of every teacher. A handsome edition in 
boards, on tinted paper, is published at 40 cents. 

American Library of Education. Mr. Schermer- 
horu did an excellent work in providing for teachers 
the standard treatises on education in cheap and 
portable form. These six little books contain each 
some 200 pages, and will prove of benefit to any 
teacher. The price was 25 cts. per volume. We 
bought the entire edition and have lowered it for 
the three volumes of which there were the most 
volumes on hand, in order to furnish as many even 
sets as possible. The volumes will be sent post-paid 
at the following rates : 

I. Locke's Essay on Education, 15 cts, 

II. Locke on Beading and Milton on Edu- 
cation, 25 cts. 

III. Horace Mann on Physiology in Schools, 25 cts. 

IV. University Addresses of Froude, Carlyle, 

Mill, etc., 25 cts. 

V. VI. Tfie Bible in the Public Schools, both 

volumes, 25 cts. 

We shall also keep regularly on hand the following 
books for teachers, which will be sent post-paid on 
receipt of the prices annexed: 

Sheldon's Elementary Instruction, $1 .50 

Sheldon's Object Teaching, 1.50 

Kiddle & Schem's How to Teach, 1.25 

Catherine Beecher's Educational Reminiscences 1.00 

Life of Horace Mann 2.50 

Life of Emma Willard 1.50 

Also all the works now considered standard in 
this department. 



78 8CHER3IERH0RN'8 BANKRUPT SALE. 



I^cliool Records. 

The Pcabody Class Records: on a Nciv Plan. 
(Patent applied for.) The Peabody Class Record 
(the iuveution of Mr. Towle, a New York Teacher,) 
gives the most complete, comprehensive, concise and 
convenient system for keeping Class Records ever 
invented. It is peculiar in many particulars, among 
which are the following: The Names of the Class, 
once written, need not be rewritten during the year, 
even though several pages be required f(>r the marks ; 
the Names of all the class appear on one page before 
the Teacher; the Order of Recitations can be 
arranged to suit the wishes of each Teacher; the 
Marks of each Pupil are permanent, and readily 
referred to any time; its paramount advantage is 
the great saving of time to the over-taxed teacher. 

It is not easy to explain briefly the construction 
of these Records. The plan of ruling and cutting to 
accomplish their desired purposes must be seen to 
be appreciated. Ample printed directions and sug- 
gestions accompany them. There are two sizes, each 
adapted to a year's" use. The smaller. No. 1, may be 
styled a " Pocket Edition." Sizes and Prices: 

No. 1—5 inches widex 9 inches long, 100 pages. ..$1.0(> 

No. ^—8 inches wide x 103^ in. long, 100 pages. . . 1.50 

(Specimens mailed on receipt of the price.) 

Strong''s Scholar^s Diary is designed to exercise 
the young in making a daily record of items and 
events. It cultivates habits of observation and 
accuracy. Such a record, faithfully kept, will prove 
a history of the writer's life, its value increasing 
with passing years. It contains: — I. Specimen pages 
of a Diary, suggesting manner of making daily 
entries. II. Rules and Maxims. III. Subjects for 
Compositions, with simple suggestions. IV. Rules 
for Capitals. V. Rules for Punctuation. Price, 
(Specimen by mail, 6c.) per dozen, reduced from 12.50 
to 11.00. 



SCHEBMERHORN'S BANKRUPT SALE. 79 

Shaw's Scholar's Register is a complete record for 
the pupil, arranged for Attendance, Conduct and 
Recitations, for fourteen weeks. Also, Abstract for 
Term, so condensed that comparative standing may 
be observed at a glance. A recitation is marked by 
the pupil, with lead pencil. The teacher can mark 
with ink such changes as are needed, make average 
for week, and carry it forward to Abstract. There 
are spaces for the parent to make remarks, and 
specify weekly time given to study at home. The cor- 
rect use of Scholar's Register will save the teacher's 
time, and stimulate pupil to better conduct and 
better lessons. He will be careful that his own hand 
may not record irregularities, misdemeanors, or 
poor lessons. Price, (Specimen by mail 6c.) per dozen, 
reduced from $1.00 to 50 cts. 

American Educational Monthly. We bought the 
entire lot of bound volumes of this excellent jour- 
nal, extending from 1865 to 1874. These volumes are 
octavos of several hundred pages, uniformly bound 
in cloth, and containing an amount and variety of 
educational information and suggestion not to be 
elsewhere obtained at several times the amount 
asked. For the present, we will send these volumes, 
post-paid, at the following rates : 1865, 6, 7, 8, 9, at 50 
cts. each ; 1870, 71, at ^1.00 each ; 187!^ at 13.00 ; 1873, 
4, at 75 cts. Tlie few complete sets we have will be 
sent by express at $5.00 for the ten volumes. For 
school libraries, this is a rare opportunity. 

Aids to School Discipline. The Aids may be used 
in various ways. This is convenient: in the morn- 
ing give each pupil a card (5 merits), representing a 
perfect day, to be forfeited for misdemeanor, or fail- 
ure in recitation. Single Merits and Half Merits are 
for pupils who fail to retain their Cards and yet 
worthy of some credit. Five Cards held by any 
pupil are exchanged for a Check (25 merits), repre- 
senting a perfect School Week. Four checks are ex- 
changed for a Certificate of Merit, representing 100 
merits or a perfect Month. These certificates bear 
the pupil's name, and are signed by the teacher. The 
number held shows the pupil's standing. 



80 SGHERMERHORN'S BANKRUPT SALE. 

If prizes or medals are awarded at close of session, 
there can be no mistake in determining to whom 
they belong; the decision being made by each pupil 
exhibiting his Cards and Certificates, no idea of 
favoritism can arise. 

The Aids naturally and invariably awaken a lively 
interest, for the pupil takes home with him the wit- 
ness of his daily conduct and progress. 

They are neat in design, printed in best colors. 
The certificate!* are prizes which pupils will cherish. 
Single Merits and Half-Merits are printed on card- 
board ; cards and checks on heavy paper, so as to 
be used many times — hence the system is cheap. 
They are put in sets of 500 there being 80 Certificates, 
120 Checks, 200 Cards, 100 Single Merits and Half- 
Merits. Price per set (mailed), fl.25. 

Handsome Testimonials, executed in the finest 
style, with border, appropriate designs and sketches, 
etc. Finely printed on Plate paper, size, 19x24 
inches, each 25c. 

School Room Mottoes. These mottoes, 16 in num- 
ber, are printed by Prang, are 5K by 13K inches, and 
contain the following mottoes : Be Polite, I Will Try, 
I Am Late, I Am Early. Obey Orders, Know Thy- 
self, Time is Money, Learn to Wait, Speak the Truth, 
Strive to Please, No Lie Thrives, Truth is Noble, 
Knowledge is Power, Dare to Do Right, [dleness 
Leads to Vice, and You Can if You Will. Price per 
set of sixteen, 11.00. 

Johnson's Solar System Chart. Dr. Johnson's In- 
destructible School Charts are well known, being 
mounted on enamelled cloth and painted by hand 
(not printed). Of them all, that of the Solar System 
is by far the handsomest, being in a blue ground 
with white and colored lines. Having bought the 
entire edition, we offer them at a price reduced from 
iS.OO to $1.00. This is the cheapest school-room 
adornment ever offered. 

DAVIS, BARDEEN & CO., 

White Memorial Building Syracuse, N. Y. 



LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 




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